Mother Gaston

Rosetta “Mother” Gaston (1885-1981), was a devoted activist and educator who was dedicated to community work. Committed to teaching individuals both young and old about their heritage, she taught her community about their ethnic histories, the arts, and the humanities. Mother Gaston founded the Heritage House for the Brownsville community. The Heritage House is located at 581 Mother Gaston Blvd. on the top floor of the Stone Avenue Branch of the Brooklyn Public Library. In 1981, in Honor of Mother Gaston, Stone Avenue was renamed Mother Gaston Boulevard which spans from Broadway to Linden Boulevard.

Mother Gaston takes a prominent place in Groundswell’s mural on Mother Gaston Boulevard. The mural was created during the Spring of 2014 as a part of the initiative Transform/Restore Brownsville. This initiative was completed through a partnership between the Pitkin Avenue BID, Groundswell and The New York City Department of Probation